BEIJING (REUTERS) - China's top diplomat Yang Jiechi has said China strongly condemns the US legislation supporting protesters in Hong Kong, in an interview with the official Xinhua news agency.

"China resolutely opposes and strongly condemns the Bill, and has expressed our severe position to the American side,"said Mr Yang, according to the Xinhua report.

He urged the United States to stop the Bill from becoming law.

The US House of Representatives sent the legislation to the White House last week after voting 417 to 1 for the "Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act", which the Senate had passed unanimously the day before.